Oil pump



Patented Dec. S, 1925.

CHARLES C. BARBER'. OF FREEPORT, NEW YORK, ASSEGNOR TO Y'v2/FiS'IERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., A CORJPORATLOT OF NEW YORK.

OIL PUMP.

Application filed May 5,

To all w71 om t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. BARBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Freeport, Long Island, in the county of Queens, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil Pumps, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to gear pumps and more particularly to pumps wherein a train of gears is driven through an oil level, and wherein the use of external conduits is eliminated.

An object of this invention is to provide a pump, simple in construction, reliable in operation, and wherein the objectionable feature of foaming (air imprisonment) is obviated.

Another object of this invent-ion is to produce a pump in which the use of external conduits and fittings is eliminated.

Oil foaming, which may be described as an accumulation of air bubbles on the surface of a lubricant, has heretofore been an objectionable feature in pumps of the nature described herein. By introducing means for venting the drive gear chamber, which provides for the complete circulation of air about the drive gears, the device herein disclosed overcomes this objectionable feature and allows the gear train to be driven through the oil level Without foaming. The venting of the drive gear chamber is accomplished by providing an idler gear with shoulders so that the air that normally lls the space between adjacent teeth is allowed to pass out from between the teeth and circulate about the sides of the gears rather than become imprisoned in the lubricant. Prior to the use of this feature it was necessary to transmit the motion of the drive gear to the pump gears by means of a length of shaft which passed through the oil level. This necessitated a complicated structure and one that was not readily adaptable for service with all mechanical devices wherein bearings were to be lubricated.

The main castings of the bearing box disclosed in this invention are formed to contain channels and ducts which serve to convey the lubricant from one reservoir to another and to distribute the oil over the bearings to be lubricated. This is an added feature to pumps of this nature in that it does 1922. serial No. 558.769.

away with all external conduits and fittings and provides for a simple, compact and reliable structure.

A complete understanding of the invention will be had from the following description of the operation of the gear pump as disclosed in the drawing, in i Yhich similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 shows the bearing box with the cover in position; Fig. 2 is a view of the bearing box with the cover removed and the gear train exposed; Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3 3 in Fig. 1,' Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the line 5 5 in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a sectional view along the line 6 6 in Fig. 4.

Shafts 1 and 2, adapted to be driven from any suitable source of power, are housed in bearing box 3. Drive gear 4, located in the drive gear chamber 5 and mounted on the shaft 2, is held in position by an auxiliary end 6 and transmits motion to pump gears 7 through an idler 8. Idler 8 is provided with spacing collars 16 which permit the circulation of air about the gears and prevents its imprisonment within the lubricant. Bearing box 3 is provided with lubricant chambers 10 and 11 and reservoir 9. A vertical channel 12 located in cover 17 connects reservoir 9 with chamber 11 and conveys lubricant from one to the other under the action of the pump gears 7. Communieating ducts let and 15 permit the passage of oil from chambers 11 and 10, respectively to the bearings 1 and 2. The cover 17, held in position by retaining-screws 18, is provided with pipe plugs 19 and 2O for filling and draining the reservoir 9. A sight 21 is provided to show whether or notthe lubricant is being delivered at the top of the bearing box, while sight 22 shows the predetermined maximum and minimum oil levels in reservoir 9.

The following description of the process of lubricating shafts 1 and 2 and their associated bearings will give a clear understanding of the operation and construction of the gear pump disclosed in this invention.

The plug 19 is removed from the cover 17 and lubricant is po'ured into the bearing box lling reservoir 9 to its maximum level, which may be determined by means of the lower sight 22. The plug 19.is then inserted and the; apparatusl set in motion.' Drive, gear 4, mounted on shaft 2, receivespower from any suitable source and transmits it to the pump gears 7 through an idler 8p The oil is forced into the orifice 13and'f by the continued action of the pump gears 7, is forced through the vertical channel 12 and int'ofthe'f chamber 11, causing the oil level to drop slowly to theruiming oil level in reservoir9. This level is approximately at the center of the 'oil' sight 22.VV The' bottom of chamber 11 is saucer-shaped to insure the delivery of oil to duct 14. The duct 14 associates'ch'amber 11 withshaft 1 andconveys'the lubricant'to this shaftV and its bearing. Anyexcess' of oil int the chamber.' 11 overflowsl and passes to chamber: 10. by means'of ductl 23. The oil passing'through duct. 14 lubricates shaft 1 and then dripsinto chamber 10 through.v the openings 24.' Theloil accumulating in'chamber 10 passes throughthe duct 15V to shaft 2, lubricating its'bearing. The excessV oil in chamber 10 is passed to'reservoir `9 by way of'oil passages 25.y Some ofthe oil Vlubricates shaft 2 and passes tof the' bearing .of the: auxiliary end G'by' way of oil grooves 27, whereas tlie-v rest dripsV from bearingv 2 'and is returned togreservoir 9 through! the oil passages' 26. That portion ofthev oil that lubri'cates the bearing of auxiliary en'dG also returns'tc vreservoir!) by way of duct 30'. y

In the` foregoing description they complete system of circulation has been shown where-4 in' thezlubricant., by' the action ofia set' of p11-mpi gears, is forced from; Va main reservoir orV pumpin chamber through a series' o f ductsY or c annels: which are substantially cavities or apertures in the main castings of thebea'ring box and is' distributed' overa set of bearings and returned again to the first reservoir or pumping chamber.

l/Vhatis claimed is:

1'. A bearing; a casing' integral therewith forming'a reservoir an'dqprovided with pas sage wayscommunicatingwith saidbearing, a cover for said casing serving'as one side wall for saidv reservoir v and provided with a vertical conduit communicating with' said reservoir and said p'assage-lwayspump gears submerged -in a lubricant in saidVreservo-ir, aI drive gearpartly' submerged and meshing withone of said pump gears',y and meansfor driving said drive-gear to operatesa'id` pump gears -whereby the lubricant is Y forced through said vertical conduit"a'nd-saidpas-V sage-ways for lubricating'j said bearing.'-

2. 'Abearing3 al casing integraltherewith forming a -rese'rvoirand provided; withc pas# sage-ways communicatngiwith sai-d bearing7 a cover for said casing serving as one side wall. for said reservoir and provided with a vertical conduit communicating with said reservoir and said passage-ways, pump gears submerged' in a lubricant in said reservoir to circulate the lubricant through the vertical conduit and passage-ways, means for driving said gears, said means being adapted to extend through the surface of the lubricant7 and means Vassociated with said driving means to allow the escape of air.

3. A bearing, a casing integral therewith forming a reservoir and providedwith passage-ways communicating with said bearing,l a cover for said casing serving as' one lside wall for said reservoir and provided with a verticalv conduit communicating with' said reservoir and saidpassage-wa-ys, pump gears submerged in' a lubricant in said reservoir to circulate the lubricant through the'vertical sesY conduit andpassage-ways, means fordriving saidgears, said means being adaptedto extend through the surface of the lubricant in said reservoir, and means associated' with said driving means to permit escape ofl air when said driving meansis rotatedthrough Y the surface of the lubricant.

4. A bearing, a casing integral therewith forming a reservoir and provided with'pa'ssage-ways communicating 'with said bearing, a cover for said casing .extending across' the end of said bearing and serving as one'side wall for said reservoir and provided with a vertical conduit communicating with said reservoir and said passage-ways, pump gears submerged in a lubricant in said reservoir, adrive gear partly submerged'and 'mesh'-v ing with one of'said pump gears,V means for driving said drive gear -to cause said pump gearsto rotate' and force the lubricant from said reservoir to saidf passage-ways, and collars associated with said drive gear to permit the escape 'of'air when saidgear is driven through the lubricant.

5. Av bearing, a casing. integral therewith forming-a reservoir and provided with pas*- sage-ways communicating with saidv bearing, a cover'pfor Ysaid casing serving as one wall for saidreservoir and provided with a' conduit communicating with said reservoir and said passage-ways, pump gears submerged in a lubricant in said reservoir, and means for driving said pump gearswhereby the lubricant is forced-through said conduitv and said passage-ways for lubricating said bearing.

Inwitness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name thisv 1stv day of May A. D., 1922.v 

